Showing posts with label Tianjin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tianjin. Show all posts
Tianjin - The Astor Hotel
Finally I have some time to write about my trip to Tianjin!
First off, I would like to talk about how lucky I am to be able to go Tianjin FOR FREE. Hahaha. Ok well not exactly free since I had to pay for the airport taxes and stuff but it's almost free. Haha. Someone in office won a pair of tickets but wasn't keen on going. So yours truly went for it. On the condition I would go down to see as well one of our new hotels that is going to open in that city too.
Oh please, that's not even difficult. So I grabbed along Wendy and off we went!
Like I said, I loveeee window seats. It was an overnight flight and imagine the blessed feeling that washed over me when I woke up to this:
And another dish that I usually will eat whenever I'm in China, is the spring onions pancake. I used to eat this on a daily basis when I was interning in Beijing. No kidding, even my flatmates got tired of watching me eat that every morning. Hahahaha.
First off, I would like to talk about how lucky I am to be able to go Tianjin FOR FREE. Hahaha. Ok well not exactly free since I had to pay for the airport taxes and stuff but it's almost free. Haha. Someone in office won a pair of tickets but wasn't keen on going. So yours truly went for it. On the condition I would go down to see as well one of our new hotels that is going to open in that city too.
Oh please, that's not even difficult. So I grabbed along Wendy and off we went!
Like I said, I loveeee window seats. It was an overnight flight and imagine the blessed feeling that washed over me when I woke up to this:
Gorgeous :)
Tianjin is a metropolis in northern China and is governed as one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of China (the other 3 are Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen). Unlike the other 3 cities, Tianjin does not have much of a shopping offering or touristy activities. It's more of an industrial city so Wendy and I planned to spend around only 4 days.
See that blackish brown building with a small clock tower? That's our hotel!
Great thanks to my ex colleagues, I managed to secure really good rates at The Astor Hotel, Luxury Collection. They also wrote in to the hotel to ensure both of us will be well taken care of during the trip. I cannot emphasize how blessed I truly am :)
Constructed in 1863, the Astor Hotel is the oldest hotel in China. A new wing was constructed in 1924. It witnessed the many turbulent times of China's wartime and change of political landscapes. Due to the city's proximity to Beijing the capital city, Tianjin was an ideal place for many then politicians to seek shelter and refuge. Sun Yat Sen, Yuan Shi Kai and the last emperor of China, Pu-Yi, all have spent a substantial amount of time in this hotel. Do read more about the hotel's history here.
Main Hotel lobby (new wing):
You have no idea how much history and story each corner of the hotel has. It's just amazing, soaking in every bit of the hotel and its architecture.
Our room! We were lucky to have a large room that faces HaiHe, one of the key rivers in Tianjin. And it's a gorgeous sight to fall asleep and wake up to :)
Sleeping area:
Pathway to bathroom:
Bathroom:
Corridor:
Yong He soya bean milk is not a Tianjin specialty, but I make a point to make at least one trip to Yong He every time I'm in China. Hahaha. One big bowl of soya bean milk... for only RMB5 (or SGD1). It's so cheap it's a sin if you don't patronise them. Hahaha. The franchise originates from Taiwan and offers many other dishes as well.
The beef noodles doesn't look very appetising here.. but you have to try Yong He's beef noodles, especially the spicy version.
Xiao Long Baos are a must and you won't believe we paid only RMB8 for these. HAHAHA. They are pretty good for that price!
And another dish that I usually will eat whenever I'm in China, is the spring onions pancake. I used to eat this on a daily basis when I was interning in Beijing. No kidding, even my flatmates got tired of watching me eat that every morning. Hahahaha.
The bad thing about blogging backdated things, you really can't remember much of it. Hahaha. So I'm going to end this post with a exterior view of The Astor Hotel:
And the view we woke up to:
Will follow up with the other posts soon!
Till then
I love taking window seats. Plainly because I enjoy seeing the plane take off (that is if I don't fall asleep before that happens) and I loveeeeee those clouds.
Will write about the Tianjin trip once I'm done with work reports. The analyst has gone on a week-long annual leave :(
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